Uncanny Annie

Last updated
"Uncanny Annie"
Into the Dark episode
Episode no.Season 2
Episode 13
Directed byPaul Davis
Story by
  • Alan Blake Bachelor
  • James Bachelor
Featured musicChase Horseman
Editing byYang Hua Hu
Original air dateOctober 4, 2019 (2019-10-04)
Running time80 minutes
Guest appearances
  • Adelaide Kane as Wendy
  • Georgie Flores as Eve
  • Paige McGhee as Grace
  • Jacques Colimon as Craig
  • Dylan Arnold as Michael
  • Evan Bittencourt as Peter
  • Karlisha Hurley as Annie
  • Camden Toy as The Prankster
  • Liam Graham as Dave
  • Avery Bagenstos as Tony
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Pure"		Next →
"Pilgrim"
List of episodes

"Uncanny Annie" is the thirteenth episode and first episode of the second season of Hulu's horror anthology streaming television series Into the Dark . The feature-length episode was directed by Paul Davis and focuses on the holiday of Halloween. It was released on Hulu on October 4, 2019.

Contents

Plot

A group of young adults have gathered together to celebrate Halloween, as well as remember the death of their friend Tony, who died a year ago that night. They decide to play the board game "Uncanny Annie", despite no one recalling how the game came to be in the house. The rules require the group to successfully complete the requirements on a deck of cards included in the box, after which they can select a letter to spell out Annie's name. Once the name is complete the game will be over, however they will only have one hour before Annie will come to end the game herself.

The game doesn't strike any of them as overly strange until the tasks turn violent and bring out secrets that the group had been hiding from one another. One task requires that the group keep a card safe from a sinister entity, The Prankster, which they are unable to keep. As tasks grow more difficult many of the group die or are taken and during the course of the game the truth of Tony's death is revealed. The prior year Tony was trying to drive while very drunk and as a result, he was forced out of the car. Only part of the friend group was present, but none intervened, assuming that he would walk home in the pouring rain. It was implied that at some point he lost consciousness while face down in a puddle, drowning him.

Ultimately only Wendy is left. To avoid dying she destroys the game box in the hopes of also destroying Annie. While it initially appears successful, Wendy ends up being taken by Annie for breaking the rules.

Cast

Production

Director Paul Davis chose to create "Uncanny Annie" as he wanted to do something different from "The Body", which he had also directed for Into the Dark and which had also been focused on the holiday of Halloween. [1] For the episode he wanted to "make a kids horror film with blood and swearing - inspired mostly by Joe Dante's The Hole and Robert Rodriguez's The Faculty ." [2] Actress Adelaide Kane was brought in to portray Wendy, one of the central characters; [3] while Dylan Arnold was signed to portray one of the antagonists. [4]

Filming for the episode took place over a period of 16 days and had a budget of just under USD$1,000,000. Davis stated that he had a three week prep time for filming once he was given an initial version of the script, which was still undergoing re-writes. Post-production was challenging for him, as he had to fly back to London due to the death of his mother. [2]

Release

"Uncanny Annie" premiered on the streaming service Hulu on October 4, 2019, [4] [5] followed by a screening at FrightFest that same year. [6] [7]

Reception

"Uncanny Annie" has a rating of 75% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on a total of 12 reviews and with the consensus "Despite some weak lines, "Uncanny Annie" comes to light as an entertaining season premiere and a worthy addition to the spookiest holiday of the year." [8] Film School Rejects and Slash Film both wrote favorable reviews for the episode, with the former stating that "These made-for-TV features will never measure up budget-wise to the movies hitting theaters, but they can surpass their bigger competition all the same with sharper writing and more interesting stories. Uncanny Annie does just that, and it deserves a bigger audience than the lesser likes of Oujia (2014) and Truth or Dare (2018) managed in theaters." [9] [10] A reviewer for RogerEbert.com gave it one star, as they felt that it was "as visually flat as anything to date in the “Into the Dark” series." [11]

Related Research Articles

John Carpenter American director, screenwriter, producer, and composer

John Howard Carpenter is an American filmmaker, actor and composer. Although he worked in various film genres, he is most commonly associated with horror, action, and science fiction films of the 1970s and 1980s. He is generally recognized as one of the greatest masters of the horror genre. At the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, the French Directors' Guild gave him the Golden Coach Award, lauding him as "a creative genius of raw, fantastic, and spectacular emotions".

Donald Pleasence English actor (1919–1995)

Donald Henry Pleasence was an English actor. He began his career on stage in the West End before transitioning into a screen career, where he played numerous supporting and character roles including RAF Flight Lieutenant Colin Blythe in The Great Escape (1963), the villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld in the James Bond film You Only Live Twice (1967), SEN 5241 in THX 1138 (1971), and the deranged Clarence "Doc" Tydon in Wake in Fright (1971).

Cassandra Peterson American actress and TV host (born 1951)

Cassandra Peterson is an American actress, writer, and singer. She is best known for her portrayal of the horror hostess character Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. Peterson gained fame on Los Angeles television station KHJ-TV in her stage persona as Elvira, hosting Elvira's Movie Macabre, a weekly B movie presentation.

<i>Hellraiser</i> (franchise) Horror franchise

The Hellraiser franchise consists of science fiction supernatural horror installments including four theatrical films, six straight-to-home video films, various comic books, and additional merchandise and media. Based on the novella by English author Clive Barker titled The Hellbound Heart, the franchise centers around the Cenobites including the primary antagonist named Pinhead. The overall plot of the franchise focuses on a puzzle box that opens a gateway to the Hell-like realm of the Cenobite lifeforms called the Lament Configuration. The Cenobites are an order of former-humans turned-monsters, who harvest human souls to torture in their sadistic experiments. Barker, who created the franchise and served as writer/director of the original film, stated that he signed away the story and character rights to the production company prior to the release of the first film, not realizing the critical and financial success it would be.

Camden Toy American actor

Camden Toy is an American actor, screenwriter, and film editor. He is best known as a character actor, often under special effects prosthetic makeup. He has acted in over one hundred independent films, and a number of television roles.

Adelaide Kane Australian actress and model (born 1990)

Adelaide Victoria Kane is an Australian actress and model. She first gained recognition for her roles as Lolly Allen in the soap opera Neighbours and Tenaya 7 in the children's series Power Rangers RPM. She went on to star as Mary, Queen of Scots in the American CW period drama Reign, along with Toby Regbo and Megan Follows. She also appeared as Cora Hale in the third season of the MTV series Teen Wolf and Drizella in the ABC series Once Upon a Time.

Richard Brake Welsh-American actor

Richard Colin Brake is a Welsh-born American character actor, known for his supporting roles as Joe Chill in Batman Begins (2005), Doom-Head in 31 (2016), and the chemist in Mandy (2018), as well as his lead role as Bob Reid in Perfect Skin (2018). He also had supporting roles on television as the Night King on the fourth and fifth seasons of Game of Thrones, as Conrad Harlow on the first season of Absentia, and as Anton Kaledin in the third series of Peaky Blinders.

Tara Lynne Barr American actress (b. 1993)

Tara Lynne Barr is an American actress. She is best known for portraying Roxy in the dark comedy film God Bless America (2011), which earned her a Young Artist Award nomination for Best Leading Young Actress in a Feature Film, and Laura Meyers in the Hulu comedy-drama series Casual.

Wendy Robie American actress (born 1953)

Wendy Robie is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Nadine Hurley in David Lynch's television series Twin Peaks (1990–1991) and the prequel film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992). She also starred in two of Wes Craven's films: The People Under the Stairs (1991) and Vampire in Brooklyn (1995). In 2017, Robie reprised her role as Nadine in David Lynch's revival series Twin Peaks: The Return.

<i>Into the Dark</i> (TV series) American horror anthology TV series

Into the Dark is an American horror anthology streaming television series produced for Hulu. The first season premiered on October 5, 2018, and consists of twelve feature-length episodes of television films. Into the Dark was renewed for a second season, which premiered on October 4, 2019, and also consists of twelve episodes.

<i>Shrill</i> (TV series) Television series

Shrill is an American comedy streaming television series developed by Aidy Bryant, Alexandra Rushfield, and Lindy West, based on West's book Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman. The series premiered on March 15, 2019, on Hulu, and stars Bryant in the lead role.

The Body (<i>Into the Dark</i>) 1st episode of the first season of Into the Dark

"The Body" is an episode of American horror anthology web television series Into the Dark that aired as the first episode of the show's first season. It originally premiered in the United States on October 5, 2018, on Hulu. The episode was directed by Paul Davis from a script he co-wrote with Paul Fischer, based on the 2013 short film of the same name also written by the duo. It stars Tom Bateman, Rebecca Rittenhouse, Aurora Perrineau, David Hull, Ray Santiago, Harvey Guillén, and Max Adler.

The Backrooms Fictional creepypasta and internet meme location related to collaborative writing

The Backrooms is an urban legend and creepypasta describing an endless maze of randomly generated office rooms and other environments. It is characterized by the smell of wet carpet, walls with a monochromatic tone of yellow, and buzzing fluorescent lights. Internet users have expanded upon this concept by creating different "levels" of the Backrooms and "entities" which inhabit them.

<i>The Cleansing Hour</i> 2019 American horror film by Damien LeVeck

The Cleansing Hour is a 2019 horror film directed by Damien LeVeck about a staged televised exorcism that takes a nefarious turn.

Pure (<i>Into the Dark</i>) 12th episode of the first season of Into the Dark

"Pure" is the twelfth episode and final episode of the first season of Hulu's horror anthology streaming television series Into the Dark. The feature-length episode was directed by Hannah Macpherson, who also wrote the episode's teleplay. It was released on Hulu on September 6, 2019.

Blind is a 2019 horror film that was directed by Marcel Walz, based on a script by Joe Knetter.

<i>The Honeymoon Phase</i> 2019 American film

The Honeymoon Phase is a 2019 sci-fi horror film that was written and directed by Phillip G. Carroll Jr., marking his feature film directorial debut.

<i>American Horror Stories</i> American anthology television series

American Horror Stories is an American anthology horror television series created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk for FX on Hulu. Premiered on July 15, 2021, the series serves as the third installment in the American Story media franchise and a direct spin-off from American Horror Story. Returning cast members from the original show include Matt Bomer, Celia Finkelstein, Naomi Grossman, John Carroll Lynch, Charles Melton, Billie Lourd, Chad James Buchanan, Cody Fern, Dylan McDermott and Jamie Brewer.

<i>The Last Drive-in with Joe Bob Briggs</i> Television series

The Last Drive-in with Joe Bob Briggs is an American variety streaming television series created by Joe Bob Briggs, Austin Jennings, and Matt Manjourides for Shudder.

References

  1. ↑ Petski, Denise (September 15, 2019). "'Into The Dark': Halloween-Frame Installment Of Hulu/Blumhouse Series Sets Cast & Premiere Date; Unveils First-Look Teaser". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 15, 2019.
  2. 1 2 "Horror Feature: Interview with Paul Davis, director of Uncanny Annie". The Horror Channel. Retrieved 2021-11-12.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. ↑ "Interview: Adelaide Kane (HULU's Into the Dark: Uncanny Annie)". Horror News. 2019-10-30. Retrieved 2021-11-12.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. 1 2 Collis, Clark. "'Into the Dark: Uncanny Annie' trailer unleashes a terrifying Halloween game". EW.com. Retrieved 2021-11-12.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. ↑ "Into the Dark: Uncanny Annie (Movie Review)". JoBlo. 2019-10-01. Retrieved 2021-11-12.
  6. ↑ "Candy, corny, culty: Arrow Video FrightFest Halloween All-Dayer 2019 | Sight & Sound". British Film Institute. Retrieved 2021-11-12.
  7. ↑ "FRIGHTFEST HALLOWEEN | UNCANNY ANNIE". frightfest.co.uk. Retrieved 2021-11-12.
  8. ↑ "Uncanny Annie". Rotten Tomatoes.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. ↑ "'Uncanny Annie' Review: 'Into the Dark' Delivers a Winner With Its Season Two Premiere". Film School Rejects. 2019-10-21. Retrieved 2021-11-12.
  10. ↑ Donato, Matt (2019-10-18). "Uncanny Annie Review: Into the Dark Returns For Season 2". SlashFilm.com. Retrieved 2021-11-12.
  11. ↑ Tallerico, Brian. "Into the Dark: Uncanny Annie movie review (2019) | Roger Ebert". Rogerebert.com. Retrieved 2021-11-12.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.